RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
A rally yesterday in front of the Prince Kuhio Federal Building protested against U.S. Sens. Daniel Akaka's and Daniel Inouye's votes to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Suze Salm, left, made a sign to hold along Ala Moana Boulevard as Amy Mizuno signed a petition.
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Oil drilling protest calls on Inouye and Akaka
About 80 people are upset that Hawaii's senators voted for drilling in Alaska
Members of environmental, faith and native Hawaiian groups, plus wildlife biologists and concerned citizens, protested yesterday against Hawaii's two U.S. senators' continued support for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Carrying signs with messages like "Let the Refuge Be," "Stop Big Oil" and "Too Wild to Waste," about 80 people picketed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of the Prince Kuhio Federal Building on Ala Moana Boulevard.
The group also delivered 1,500 postcards from Hawaii constituents to the offices of Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye. The cards urge the senators not to support drilling in the refuge.
Protest co-organizer Steve Montgomery said he finds Akaka's and Inouye's repeated votes to allow drilling in the refuge "such a striking contrast to their Democratic (Senate) colleagues," all but one of whom voted against opening the area in December.
A December attachment of the issue to the budget reconciliation bill was the most recent time the issue has come to a vote.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Chuck Burrows, right, president of 'Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi, discussed the protest with Rob Kinslow.
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Hawaii naturalist and educator Chuck "Doc" Burrows, also a protest co-organizer, said that despite Akaka's and Inouye's steady support since 1995 for drilling in the refuge, people wanted to show that they disagree.
"I felt like we were kind of betrayed by our two Senator Dans," Pat Blair of Kailua said at the protest yesterday. "I'm very disappointed in their position, and I've written them many times about it."
Neither senator's office had comment on the demonstration yesterday. Akaka was on the Big Island at hearings on veterans affairs, and Inouye was in Washington. Both have said in the past that they support the right of the Inupiat people of Alaska to choose drilling.
Montgomery and Burrows said yesterday that the senators have heard only the "corporate" view of the Inupiat Eskimos, not the view of dissenting Inupiat or of the Gwich'in people, another native people of the area.
Groups participating in yesterday's demonstration included 'Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi, Conservation Council for Hawaii, Church of the Crossroads, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Ka Maile Hawaiian Civic Club, Kailua Hawaiian Civic Club, Ka Pakaukau, Friends of the Arctic Refuge and the Alaska Wilderness League.